JCB - brand suicide?

[annodomini2]

guru_1071 said:

backhoe

Backhoe-loader technically.

[Digga]

Hunky Dory said:

Digga said:

agree. It's probably IMHO the biggest waste of money on external consultancy in the corporate world.

Sure, evolve a logo, but don't try to kill it or smother it. Frankly, in the case of JCB - a very privately-owned company and one where tthe very name is synonomous with the family who owns it - I'm astonished this has happened.

Given it's a family owned company, what makes you think anyone other than the top man made the decision, or that money was "wasted" on external consultants?

I do happen to know a bit about how the place works. Family owned it may be, but there's a lot of people who are busier building their little empires or toadying to the Bamfords than they are doing their job. In that kind of environment, these things happen - but no one will (likely) have pulled the trigger on it and in so doing left their neck directly on the block. All IMHO.

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

Eric Mc said:

BA, on the other hand, made a disastrous brand change in 1997.

Just out of interest, what did they do? I've done a quick look on the internets and couldn't find anything. Did they try and change their name or something? I was too young to care at the time. I remember the Post Office / Consignia fiasco though!

[Digga]

TimmyWimmyWoo said:

Eric Mc said:

BA, on the other hand, made a disastrous brand change in 1997.

Just out of interest, what did they do? I've done a quick look on the internets and couldn't find anything. Did they try and change their name or something? I was too young to care at the time. I remember the Post Office / Consignia fiasco though!

The tail fins of all their aricraft used to sport a union flag design. It being British airways, this was deemed a key part of thier identitity.

However, this was removed overnight and replaced with sundry, cack-handed and un-cohesive alternatives. I beleive that they have recently tried to return to their previous image.

[poprock]

Digga said:

The tail fins of all their aricraft used to sport a union flag design. It being British airways, this was deemed a key part of thier identitity.

However, this was removed overnight and replaced with sundry, cack-handed and un-cohesive alternatives. I beleive that they have recently tried to return to their previous image.

Famously, at a corporate/PR/political event, Margaret Thatcher carefully placed her handkerchief over the tail fin of a model BA aircraft so as to obscure the embarrassing rebrand. It was photographed and filmed that way for all the national press. Kiss of death.

[Yertis]

These branding cock-ups often happen when the designer is bamboozled (or bullied) into following a brief which is driven by some sort of short-term commercial logic, rather than an ambition to capture and communicate the spirit of the organisation.

In my experience, it's very hard to find graphic designers who are really good at identity work.

[poprock]

Yertis said:

… it's very hard to find graphic designers who are really good …

I’d say you can just leave it at that.

[Yertis]

poprock said:

I’d say you can just leave it at that.

I'm looking to recruit a junior at the moment, it's bloody difficult to find one. At least, one that is actually capable of designing rather than just waving a Mac at the problem and hoping for the best.

[poprock]

Yertis said:

I'm looking to recruit a junior at the moment, it's bloody difficult to find one. At least, one that is actually capable of designing rather than just waving a Mac at the problem and hoping for the best.

There’s a real skill to hiring the right juniors … spotting potential instead of pre-existing skills.

[Yertis]

Then when you think you've got one with potential it turns out they don't respond well to deadlines, etc etc...

[mph1977]

Digga said:

TimmyWimmyWoo said:

Eric Mc said:

BA, on the other hand, made a disastrous brand change in 1997.

Just out of interest, what did they do? I've done a quick look on the internets and couldn't find anything. Did they try and change their name or something? I was too young to care at the time. I remember the Post Office / Consignia fiasco though!

The tail fins of all their aricraft used to sport a union flag design. It being British airways, this was deemed a key part of thier identitity.

However, this was removed overnight and replaced with sundry, cack-handed and un-cohesive alternatives. I beleive that they have recently tried to return to their previous image.

and didn't the bearded one rush his fleet to the paint shop to put Union flag tails on those planes

[FourWheelDrift]

JCB are posting record results today, sales are up 40% over last year to £2.75billion, profits £355 million.

I think name changes are more relevant than logo changes.

Edited by FourWheelDrift on Tuesday 17th April 10:20